Missing in Action

Ok, so four months have gone by since I posted on the blog. I haven't been missing as such, more like lurking in the internet ether, reading blogs and FB and Twitter, but without much heart to comment or be present.

Looking at my last post, it was just three weeks before the bad thing came to an end. My beloved step-dad, Tom, succumbed to bowel cancer on February 24th this year. He'd had the disease for two years. At one point, we thought he'd beat it but, unfortunately, it had spread into his abdomen, causing the problems with his lungs and kidney that were eventually to kill him.

Nearly four months on, I'm still devastated, although I have much to be thankful for. In two years, he rarely suffered. The disease really only claimed him in the last week of his life, when he was hospitalised and it was clear to everyone that the end was near. He died in his sleep, which is something most people would be envious of. Tom had a very strong belief in the afterlife, despite not being a conventionally religious man. My hope is that he was right...

Even expected death takes a huge toll on those left behind. My mum is coping well without her partner and best friend, but it is so difficult. What I mourn most of all is the quiet presence of a man who gently took on the role of being a dad to me, a man I could admire for his kindness and love for people.

While all this has been going on, life has demanded so much as well. I've been re-working The Queer Cure, after feedback from an agent last September on the strength (or lack of it) of the story. My work commitments have started to rise again and I will be back full-time in September - nearly two years after almost walking away.

I was delighted to be involved in the '100 Stories for Queensland' project. My very short story 'Sweet Juliet, 1935' was shortlisted and included in the final book. After a launch day push, the book reached high rankings in the Amazon charts both here and the US. If you would like to sample some short short stories in the name of flood relief, please check the book out here.

Summer holidays are coming and my aims for them are centred around finding an agent for 'The Queer Cure' and preparing for the autumn. I'm lucky enough to have recently returned from a luxurious week in Prague - which did much to raise my spirits. My next travel plan is an exploration of Spain's interior, but I need more Tesco vouchers before it becomes a reality!

Thanks for reading. I'll try to stay in touch more often.